Branch Basics was founded by 3 women, whose lives were transformed by eating real food and tossing toxins in their everyday life. Their stories are truly incredible when you read about them on their website. From basically reversing PCOS and going from likely never having children to 3 healthy pregnancies and children from being mindful of your diet and environmental toxins, it’s truly amazing. Branch Basics is a truly non-toxic, family and pregnancy safe cleaning product line that all stems from their Concentrate. You basically get 5 products in one, and everything is refillable. Their other star player is their Oxygen Boost, which aids in many cleaning tasks. I have been using Branch Basics for years now after a friend had mentioned it, and after reading so many Branch Basics Reviews I am ready to do my own!
[This post contains affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you purchase through these links. I’m only going to recommend products that I have tried and love!]
What’s wrong with traditional cleaning products?
In the US, cleaning products aren’t regulated, similar to how they can just put “fragrance” on a bottle and not disclose what that means. Not all ingredients are always listed or disclosed. Traditional cleaning products we’ve mostly grown up with contain a lot of harsh chemicals. Bleach and Ammonia being the top two I remember most. The smell of bleach and ammonia and having to make sure you’re in a well ventilated space otherwise you could potentially pass out? Red flags anyone? Pesticides in our gardens and lawns? How is that good for our animals and children playing out there? There are so many environmental toxins, so making one small change at a time can make a truly huge impact on our health.
Ammonia
When you google ammonia toxicity this is what comes up: “Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.” – From NYS Department of Health.
Chlorine Bleach
Chlorine bleach is used in a tremendous amount of household cleaning products and it does kill bacteria and viruses as well as whitens your clothing. However, it can cause eye and skin and respiratory irritation. What becomes more dangerous, is the mixing with ammonia products which can result in the release of chlorine gas, an asphyxiant, as well as cause tissue damage. Typically recommended to use in a well ventilated area so as to not breathe it in I quickly googled a common bottle of bleach cleaner spray and it says to “use in a well ventilated area, open windows and turn on the fan before use. Vapors may irritate.”
Quaternary ammonium compounds or “quats”
Quaternary ammonium compounds “quats” are also potentially linked to fertility issues in studies in mice – although more research is needed on humans, why take the risk? Per the EWG, you can be savvy when reading your labels and avoid cleaning products that When in stores, read product labels closely, and avoid ones with the following ingredients: ADBAC, DDAC, benzalkonium chloride or any compound ending in “-monium chloride” or “-ammonium methyl sulfate”.
Insert: Branch Basics – non-toxic cleaning product that is safe for pregnancy and your family
I am so impressed with Branch Basics. From getting out newborn blowout stains, to pasta sauce, to blackberry stains. To cleaning my white glass stove top, and white porcelain sink. To cleaning my mirrors and windows without streaks. To cleaning my bathroom with no harsh chemical smells or artificial fragrances. With a few simple ingredients, you get a concentrate that turns into:
- All-purpose spray
- Streak-free window and mirror cleaner
- Bathroom spray
- Hand/dish foaming soap
- Laundry detergent
You also can purchase their Branch Basics Oxygen Boost which consists of only 2 ingredients, which I find immensely helpful in stain removal and cleaning the kitchen!
They also make dishwasher tablets but I can’t comment on those, I haven’t tried them yet!
What are the ingredients in Branch Basics?
Per the Branch Basics FAQ: “All Branch Basics cleaning products are non-toxic. Our products are made from plant and mineral based natural ingredients, are always fragrance-free and eco-friendly. All products are safe for humans, pets and the earth.” So let’s dive deeper, what are their actual ingredients? Every ingredient rates a 1 or 2 on EWG. There are no synthetic fragrances or any fragrances at all, no phthalates, no VOCs, no phosphates, no chlorine, no ammonia, no sulfates, no parabens. No animal testing, considered human safe, children and pet safe. It’s also biodegradable.
Branch Basics Concentrate ingredients:
Purified Water, Decyl Glucoside, Organic Chamomile Flower Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Phytate.
They reformulated the concentrate in 2017 and have an excellent breakdown for us:
“Purified Water – Reverse Osmosis, Decyl Glucoside – A naturally-derived surfactant cleanser derived from coconut and/or corn. Due to its mild nature, it is often used in skincare products and baby products as well as fruit and veggie sprays, as it will not harm the delicate skin on berries. Chamomile Flower Extract – An organic flower extract with Allergen (IFRA) Certifications, which certifies it is nonallergenic and is not a fragrance. From its anti-irritant, anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties to its nourishing and skin-soothing characteristics, this is our star ingredient! Coco Glucoside – A naturally-derived surfactant derived from coconut, coco glucoside is one of the most gentle cleansing agents available and is a natural alternative to the harsher cocamidopropyl betaine and sulfates. Its chemical nature and production process results in a surfactant free of impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, making it suitable for baby and pet products. Sodium Citrate A plant-derived, biodegradable sodium salt that acts as a water softener. It’s also used as an acidity regulator in food and drinks (think club soda!) and as an emulsifier (it enables cheeses to melt without becoming greasy). Sodium Bicarbonate – A mineral-based water softener, also known as baking soda! Sodium Phytate – A natural chelator, phytic acid is found in plant seeds and is often used commercially as a preservative due to its antioxidant properties.”
Branch Basics Oxygen Boost:
Sodium Percarbonate and Sodium Bicarbonate.
In more detail: Sodium Bicarbonate is basically baking soda, we use in baking cookies. Sodium Percarbonate is a mineral based brightener and deodorizer. When mixed with water, it breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate. Per the EPA, Sodium Percarbonate gets a Green circle – The chemical has been verified to be of low concern based on experimental and modeled data. There can still be some skin or eye irritation and shouldn’t be swallowed (Branch Basics does have these warnings on the container to avoid prolonged exposure, or rinse eyes etc), but ultimately when used as directed is considered very safe!
Is Branch Basics anti-bacterial or sanitizing?
Branch Basics is not considered an “antibacterial” product – you can consider it like soap and water. We know washing our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds removes germs right? Well Branch Basics can be considered like a soap, it removes germs, it doesn’t kill them.
If you are truly looking to disinfect your surface, I go for Force of Nature – its made of salt, water and vinegar that is electrolyzed in water to create hypochlorous acid and sodium hydroxide – I will be doing a post on this later as it’s a really unique and safe alternative to traditional “anti-bacterial” sprays out there.
How I use Branch Basics in my everyday cleaning:
- All-purpose spray – I use this on EVERYTHING! Cleaning my counters, getting marker and paint off my tables, pre-treating mild stains before going in the laundry, and I always use it in conjunction with the Oxygen Boost if I am doing heavy duty stain removal, or cleaning the sink or the glass stovetop. Check out my instagram story highlights @sarahfamastory for before and afters – it’s really crazy good!
- Bathroom spray – works great on getting the grimy toothpaste and toilet surfaces clean!
- Streak-free spray – this works great on all mirrors and windows – it just works, enough said!
- Laundry detergent – I find I have used this the least frequent, as I love my Zum laundry soap so much. Branch Basics does a great job but it does use more of the concentrate so I would go through a bottle much quicker. I should do a trial of doing a couple months of the laundry component and report back shouldn’t I?
- Oxygen Boost – I use this primarily as stain removal – I make the recommended soal of warm/hot water, half scoop of Oxygen Boost and drop of the concentrate and let soak. This soak is EVERYTHING. It has transformed my poo-ridden baby clothes back to new status. It has gotten ketchup and blackberries out of white shirts. It has cleaned our white glass stovetop, and it has cleaned the grimey yellow grossness out of our white kitchen sink. I cannot speak to the way it works on grout as our grout in our bathroom is beyond repair and we are going to be gutting our bathroom this spring. I will start using it more on tile grout once we redo our bathroom to maintain and report back! Again check my instagram for before and afters @sarahfamastory.
- Lastly, the hand and dish wash – this is a great foaming unscented hand wash and works as a great quick travel companion as well but I do love my lemon or citrus essential oil scented hand soaps more so I do gravitate towards those instead of making this one with the concentrate over and over. I have it as our backup when I run out of our other soaps.
Overall impressions and final thoughts of Branch Basics
I use the Branch Basics All-Purpose Spray and their Oxygen Boost the most, definitely. I cannot recommend them enough! The concentrate goes a long way if you are refilling your bottles. You can also buy refill bags of the Oxygen Boosts and refill the same plastic canister. The starter kit comes with everything you need for making all of the various components I went over here, but if you want to start with just one thing, go for the concentrate and the all-purpose bottle – they have a trial kit which is perfect. They have glass bottles as well which I would love to transition to, but have been reusing the plastic ones I have had now for a few years. They now have a wider variety of kits with the glass bottles included which is great!
Right now I purchase on their website – use my link for $10 off your order!!
If you are looking to transition your home to non-toxic products, take a look at your cleaning products. Whether you are trying to become pregnant, are pregnant, or have your kiddos at home, or are trying to lead a cleaner and healthier lifestyle, are suffering from respiratory or skin ailments. Changing your cleaning products can have a big impact on the health of ourselves and our families. Branch Basics is just one of the brands that we have loved here at our home. Everyone has their own level of comfort with the products they choose – and I hope this can help you make the best choice for you and your family!
What are your favorite non-toxic cleaning products/brands? Have you tried Branch Basics? Let me know in the comments or on the ‘gram!
Xo – Sarah